STANDARDS FOR LEADERS
Titus 1:5-9 NKJV
5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you— 6 if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. 7 For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, 8 but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, 9 holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.
Titus was a pastoral trouble-shooter for Paul. He seemed to handle problem churches without much hand-holding. Paul needed to build up Timothy, and his letters reflect that. Paul is helping Timothy deal with church members who questioned Timothy’s young age. Paul instructed Timothy on how to move past those barriers and reminded him of the power of the Holy Spirit, who was not fearful but powerful. But with Titus, Paul gets straight into business.
In the first chapter, we see the character traits that would qualify elders in the church. Paul preached a gospel that was available to everyone, but leadership had to be approved. Christianity was spreading, but the church as a whole was still new. There were no resumes that could be checked or ministry patterns that could be observed. So, Paul lists the qualifications of elders or leaders in the church.
The first area that Paul told Titus to look for was what was happening in the home. A man could not have multiple wives at the same time, and the children needed to be faithful, not rebellious. And Paul uses the word blameless. This cannot mean perfect, or no one would make it. This spoke to a person who has a good reputation in the community.
Then Paul lists blameless again and follows that up with character traits such as not being self-willed or quick-tempered. The quick-tempered part would have counted me out for years. Thank God we can grow. A church leader must not be addicted to wine and not be violent or greedy for money. Remember, Titus was setting the church in Crete in order and appointing leaders in every city. He needed people he could trust to do the right thing, not just preach the right thing, although that was also important.
So Paul kept adding to the list. If we believe, and I do, that God’s Word is inspired, then these character qualities are important to God. And if a person is in a position of leadership, these qualities become all the more important. Therefore, qualities such as being hospitable, loving what is good, levelheaded, and someone who always does the right thing. Someone who lives separated to God, has holiness in their conduct, a person marked by self-control. Looking at these character traits, it’s easy to see why Paul wanted Titus to pick someone who lived this way. Character qualifies for leadership.
And Paul does mention an adherence to the Scriptures. Holding fast to the faithful word so that when the leader teaches, the teaching is sound. Sound teaching both encourages and convicts. Sound teaching does not condemn but presents the truth in such a way that someone who is not aligned with the Scriptures can make the adjustment.
APPLICATION
We have a church that anyone can come to. Come as you are is one of our key values. When someone takes a position of responsibility in the church, there are standards that have to be met. This is how God’s kingdom operates. The greater the responsibility, the higher the standards. Paul did not give Titus a list of qualifications to be a part of the church. He instructed Titus as to who would qualify for leadership in the church.
PRAYER
Praying for the leaders at The Ark is of vital importance. We need your prayers as we serve God by serving His people.